Time was, if you didn’t sign up for the Walt Disney World marathon or half-marathon 11 months in advance, you were out of luck.

The three choices for 2011 Walt Disney World Marathon finishers medal.

Not anymore. Registration has lagged noticeably over the last few years. In fact, as of this writing, the half marathon is only 60 percent full, while the Goofy Race and a Half Challenge is at just 50 percent.

Some have blamed the economy, others the high cost of registration. To help spur runners, race organizers have taken steps to make Disney’s premier running weekend a little more appealing.

For one thing, you can now have a say in the design of the Mickey finishers medal you’ll receive after completing the 26.2-mile course on Jan. 9, 2011.

In addition — and this is a biggie — Disney will be staging its first-ever Marathon Monday the day after the race in January. After you’ve finished the marathon, you’ll be given a free ticket for use the following day in a Walt Disney World theme park to celebrate your accomplishment. It’ll give you a chance to show off your medal with all your fellow finishers (just make sure to tuck it away on rides like Space Mountain or Tower of Terror).

A free day in a WDW park kind of takes the sting out of the $135 marathon and half marathon entry fee and the $310 Goofy Challenge cost.

CAPTAIN EO RETURNS TO EPCOT JULY 2

Two weeks from today, "Captain EO," starring Michael Jackson, makes its triumphant return to the Magic Eye Theater in the Imagination pavilion at Epcot.

Michael Jackson returns to Epcot as "Captain EO" on July 2.

The classic production — which originally ran from 1986-1994 — is a 17-minute 3-D thrill ride of its own, with Jackson and his band of fumbling sidekicks singing and dancing their way through the galaxy.

The film, directed by Francis Ford Coppola and produced by George Lucas, shows Jackson at the height of his legendary career.

Although this is a "limited" engagement, we have a feeling that "Captain EO" will be shown as long as the crowds keep coming.